Welcome to the first installment of a new column series by Katie Harbison, designer and founder of her eponymous studio, as she joins Homes & Gardens’ By Design to share how she creates interiors that exude calm and understated beauty.
When I was asked to write this column, I paused – truly paused – and gave myself time to think. I wanted to write about something that felt authentic to me, both personally and creatively as a designer. I wanted to strike the right tone for those of you who don’t yet know me, but who I hope will come to understand the ideas and themes that guide my approach to design. And so, it felt natural to start at the beginning: why I got into design.
When someone recently asked me this question, the answer was simple. I believe interiors are not just visually beautiful spaces – they should transform the way you think and feel. From a young age, I’ve been drawn to spaces that offer calm, joy, and a sense of ease. I’ve always wanted to create homes that are uncompromisingly peaceful, where people feel happy and at ease the moment they enter. For me, design is never just about what we see; it’s about that quiet, restorative feeling when the noise fades, and the space truly resonates.
I used to romanticize the idea of slow mornings – the kind where you don’t immediately reach for your phone, sip a cup of tea in silence, or spend 15 minutes meditating to start the day 'the right way.' I loved the idea of that person, but honestly, it’s not me.
Like many of you, I’ve come to accept that my mornings begin in a more chaotic fashion. From the moment I wake, the noise starts – not just from the buzzing streets of Brooklyn, which I now call home, but from the world outside springing to life: chatter, traffic, the familiar ping of notifications, and the visual clutter of our surroundings. This is all part of what defines our age of overstimulation.
Design, once a vehicle for quiet elegance, has in some ways become another source of overwhelm. Driven by social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, we are inundated with fast trends, where the emphasis often feels more about quantity than quality. In a world that rarely pauses, stillness has become not just desirable, but a luxury – and in many ways, a universal aspiration. Post-pandemic living has only intensified this feeling. We’ve all had to reconsider how we inhabit our homes, the necessities they provide, and how they make us feel. From this, I asked myself: how do I design for stillness in a loud world?
For me, it comes back to intentionality. Design that quiets the mind. Spaces that do not shout for attention but instead offer calm, a place to rest, reset, and simply be. As a designer, my role is to create interiors that soothe rather than stimulate, crafting environments that act as a sanctuary from external life – a refuge within the home that provides a sense of calm amid the everyday chaos.
One principle I return to time and again in our work is material honesty. Ever since studying in Florence, I’ve been drawn to natural materials – timber, stone, clay walls – materials that carry their own quiet presence. They don’t need to shout to be noticed. Often, they form the foundation of our projects because when used thoughtfully, they speak for themselves.
Of course, these materials can be used in bold, dramatic ways, but I tend to favor a more restrained approach. I want them to feel sympathetic to their surroundings rather than compete with them. Even the most beautiful finishes can become loud or distracting if overused. It’s a question I ask constantly during the design process: how will this space feel in five years? After all, the homeowner lives in it every day, not just when it’s photographed. My goal is to create interiors that feel considered and timeless, not trend-driven or overworked.
It’s easy to fall into the mindset that more is more – and sometimes, I agree. When it comes to styling, for example, I don’t hold back. I love layering objects, books, art, and treasures, both I and our clients have collected – everything that makes a space feel personal and lived-in.
Through thoughtful curation, we can create rooms that are inviting, livable, and quietly beautiful. For me, design is never about impressing at first glance or overwhelming the senses. It’s about crafting a space that feels calm, considered, and welcoming – a place where people want to spend time and the feeling it leaves behind endures.
When it comes to what I call the ‘bones’ of a home – the architecture, the layout, the materials – I firmly believe in restraint. Stillness doesn’t mean emptiness; it means intentionally simple. A kind of layered minimalism that feels warm rather than stark. It’s about creating space for a home to breathe.
I like to think of my approach as refined and quietly confident. I place strong emphasis on architecture and materiality, often influenced by European sensibilities – spaces that feel special but never ostentatious. From there, the layering begins. With furniture, fixtures, and fittings, I lean into a more relaxed, Californian aesthetic, incorporating linen upholstery, mixed wood tones, and pieces that feel lived-in and approachable. It’s this balance that makes a space truly feel like home.
The homes we create often take years to bring to life. They are the product of a long, collaborative process – from early concept to final installation – requiring many hands along the way. Naturally, there’s a thrill at the finish line. After years of ideation, problem-solving, and careful planning, seeing it all come together is immensely rewarding – for both us and our clients.
But what I think about most is what happens afterward. When the teams have packed up, the dust has settled, and everyday life resumes. That is where the real success of a project lives for me. My hope – and intention – is always that we’ve created more than a beautiful space. We’ve created a home.
A home where our clients and their families can truly unwind, switch off from the pressures of the outside world, and feel at ease. A bedroom designed as a sanctuary, meant to be a space to escape to and simply be.
At the end of the day, that is the real purpose of what we do: creating homes that offer stillness and calm in an overstimulated, loud world.
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